Drawer and track construction



April 25, 1961 I. FRIEND 2,981,584

DRAWER AND TRACK CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 31, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

IRVIN FRIEND ATTORNEXSZ April 25, 1961 l. FRIEND DRAWER AND TRACK CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 31, 1957 INVEN TOR.

IRVIN FRIEND AT TOR/VEYS.

United States atent "O DRAWER AND TRACK CONSTRUCTION Irvin Friend, 403B 121st St., Rockaway Park, NY. Filed Dec. 31, 1957, Ser. No. 706,506

1 Claim. (Cl. 312-337) This invention comprises improvements in drawer and supporting track constructions therefor as a combination used primarily in filing cabinets.

The broad object of the invention is to provide drawer and track constructions, and particularly track assemblies involving fixed and movable track sections, wherein provision is made for preventing metal to metal contact be tween the drawer and the track section and between the relatively movable track section.

. A more specific object of the invention is to provide a combination of this type which is relatively silent in operation, and in which there is no metal to metal contact between the parts as the drawer is opened and closed.

A still more specific object of the invention is to provide a relatively noiseless bumper arrangement for bring-' ing the drawer to a stop as it is completely retracted.

Other and more detailed objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the embodiment thereof selected for illustrating the principles of this invention in this document.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of cabinet embodying the subject matter of this invention having a drawer shown partly open and a movable track section partly extended;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the parts of Fig. 1, showing the movable track section entirely withdrawn from the cabinet for illustrative purposes;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on the plane 3-3 of Fig. 5, showing the drawer and movable track section partly extended from the cabinet;

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the drawer and track section fully retracted within the cabinet;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken on .the line 66 of Fig. 4; and

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail view showing a typical guide member.

It is of course old in the filing cabinet art to provide a casing having an extensible drawer which operates on a movable track section, the track section in turn movable on fixed track sections in the cabinet. In an arrangement of this kind the construction is such that as the drawer and movable track section move with respect to each other and the fixed track section, there is metal to metal rubbing contact, which causes frictional resistance to such movement, is a source of considerable noise and tends to deface the surfaces of the parts that move in sliding contact.

The purpose of this invention is to provide non-metallic bumper and guide members between the relatively movable parts so that metal to metal contact cannot occur. In addition, as disclosed herein, the roller supports for the movable track section and drawer are similarly made of non-metallic material to reduce the noise of operation.

A structure embodying these principles is illustrated in the drawings. For illustrative purposes a simple rectanguier open front cabinet 10 is shown, but its size and configuration are of no importance to this invention. For example, it is representative of a cabinet that may be large enough to contain more than one drawer arranged vertically or horizontally, and if desired in combination with other cabinet features for devices of this kind,-

As illustrated the cabinet is of metal and at its open end the walls are open upon themselves to form enlarged frame members 12 at the sides and top. At the bottom the wall is similarly shaped but has a greater transverse width longitudinally of the cabinet to form a widened threshold and a downturned lip at the inner edge, see Fig. 3, to strengthen it. Secured on the inner face of the backwall of the cabinet as appears in Fig. 3 is a U- shaped channel member 16 which is mounted so that its top surface is in the same plane as the top surface of the threshold 14.

Secured on the inner faces of both side walls of the cabinet 10 are a pair of track sections 18 whose lower edges contact the top faces of the brace 16 and the threshold 14, see Fig. 4. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the fixed track sections 18 are of thin metal and have oppositely extending flanges along their sides so that the upper flanges can be secured to the side walls of the cabinet 10 and the lower flanges to the braces 14 and 16. As appears in most of the figures, each fixed track section 18 is provided with a headed button 20 which is force-fit into an aperture therein and arranged so that the larger head faces inwardly, that is, lies on the exposed faces of the track section .18. These buttons are positioned close to the front edges of the fixed track sections, that is near the open end of the cabinet, and are positioned above the centerline.

The movable track section comprises a pair of parallel generally U-shaped metal channels 22, the bottom flange of each being wider than the top flange. These movable track sections are rigidly connected together by means of a cross bracing member 24, see Fig. 2, which is positioned near their front ends. The channels 22 are pro-;

wardly, as shown.

Journaled at the forward end of the track sections are a pair of rollers 28. Journaled at the approximate longitudinal center of the movable track section at the top and bottom are the rollers 30 and 32. Towards the rearend of the movable track sections adjacent the bottom are the rollers 34 and at the rear end at the top are the rollers 36. In accordance with this invention these rollers are made of non-metallic material, and preferably of some natural or synthetic composition which is durable and soft enough to provide cushioned operation without noise. Many rubber and plastic compositions are suitable for this purpose, indeed there are so many possible non-metallic materials of which the rollers can be made. No attempt to list them will be made. However, by way of example, these rollers can be made of nylon.

As is clear from the various figures the rollers or wheels 28, 32, 34 and 36 are journaled on fixed axes on the movable track sections in such positions as to project beyond the top and bottom confines thereof. The rollers 30 are journaled on the movable track sections below the top edge and their axes are directly above the axes of the rollers 32.

Welded to the bottom flanges of the movable track section 22 are a pair of depending brackets 38 which are positioned to limit the distance which the movable track sections can be moved out along the fixed track sections. These stop members 38 extend downwardly so as to engage the inside depending flange of the threshold brace 46 when fully extended.

assneee Secured near the forward ends of the movable track sections are the non-metallic buttons 40, the larger ends of which face inwardly of the cabinet, as shown particularly in Fig. 5. Near the rear ends of the movable track sectionsv are the headed non-metallic buttons 42 and 44 which have their enlarged ends facing outwardly, see Figs. 3 and 4. The button 42 is near the top side of the movable track section and the buttons 44 are near the bottom side. Extending along the exposed faces of the fixed track sections 18, near the top edge are the S-shaped channel members 46 having a depending terminal flange which lies opposite the edge of the top flange of each of the movable track sections, see Figs. 5 and 6.

The drawer which can be of any suitable construction is shown generally at 48 and is provided on each side with an L,-shaped fixture 50 positioned to engage, the fixtures. 26 on. the movable track sections as shown inFi'g. 3.

Secured along each side of the drawer is a thin walled channel member 52 which projects towards the open sides of the movable track sections 42 and is shaped so as to provide a rolling ledge for the drawer on the rollers. The vertical spacing between the rollers 30 and 32 is such as to engage both sides of the channel member 52. The rollers 28 and 34 engage the undersurface of this channel member.

At this point it may be noted that the rollers 36 engage the flange strips 46. Each channel'member 52 is provided with a non-metallic headed button 54 adjacent the rear end of the drawer, the head of which faces outwardly of the drawer as shown in Fig. 6.

At this point it may be noted that all of the non-metallic buttons 20, 40, 42, 44 and 54 are of a construction similar to the button shown in Fig. 7, but face in different directions, as explained above in detail.

It is also noted for emphasis that the construction on each side of the vertical longitudinal central plane of the cabinet and drawer is duplicated in all respects.

in the operation of this structure starting from the drawer closed position shown in Fig. 4, the parts cooperate as follows. When the drawer is grasped by the handle and pulled outwardly it rolls on the rollers 28, 32, and 34 by reason of their engagement with the undersurface of the channel member 52 secured to the drawer. The rollers which engage the upper surface of this channel member prevent the drawer from tipping downwardly at the front. This movement continues until the fixtures 50 on the drawer engage the fixtures 26 on the movable track section, whereupon as the drawer is further withdrawn the movable track sections roll out on the fixed track sections until the stop members 38 engage the cross brace 14. At this time the drawer and track sections are fully extended. The movable track sections roll for the most part on the rollers 32 and 34 which glide on the bottom flange of the fixed track section. The rollers 36 engage the track strip 46 and prevent the front end of the movable track sections from dropping down at the front.

Throughout the movement of the drawer and track sections there is no metal to metal contact because the nonmetallic buttons 20, 40, 42, 44 and 54 engage the fixed or relatively movable parts at all times so that, as is clear. 1y illustrated in the drawings, at no place does metal engage metal as it moves. This, taken with the fact that the rollers are non-metallic produces the results which are the object of this invention, normal glide operation, low resistance to movement of parts and no scraping and marring of the parts.

The buttons 20 and 40 are so relatively positioned vertically and longitudinally of, the structure that just as the drawer closes the fails or small ends of the buttons 40 engage the heads of the buttons 20 forming a detenting and buffering action which minimizes the tendency of the parts to slam as the drawer fully closes and which tend to form a slight additional resistance to closing and opening of the drawer. Furthermore, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the tails of the buttons 40 are forced past the heads of the buttons 20 so as to provide a mild retaining action to position the drawer fully closed and, flush in the plane of the open end of the cabinet. This accurate positioning is further insured by the presence of a stop 60 which is secured on the inside of the cabinet in back of the adjacent framing member 12 in an exact position so. that as the buttons 20 and 40 assume the position shown in Fig. 4, the rear face of the front wall of the drawer will engage it.

As is clear from Fig. 4, the stops 38 do not engage the rear cross brace 16 so that no noise can occur by contact between them.

In view or" the above description it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the subject matter of this invention, although of a limited nature, is capable of variation in detail. It is preferred, therefore, that the disclosure be taken in a purely exemplary manner and the scope of protection afforded hereby be determined by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A device as disclosed comprising a pair of fixed metal tracks, a pair of movable metal tracks, non-metallic rollers journaled on said movable tracks and having rolling contact with said fixed tracks, a drawer having a metal guide strip on its sides having rolling contact with said rollers, and non-metallic buttons on said fixed and movable. tracks engageable to hold the drawer closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,929,762 Ulrich Oct. 10, 1933 2,031,251 Clark Feb. 18, 1936 2,343,692 Miller Mar. 7, 1944 2,350,228 Hanes May 30, 1944 2,687,924 Gomersall Aug. 31, 1954 2,719,772 Petkwitz Oct. 4, 1955 2,726,915 Schuette v Dec. 13, 1955 2,759,773 Wilmer Aug. 21, 1956 2,822,232 Lhota Feb. 4, 1958 2,864,656 Yorinks Dec. 16, 1958 2,871,085 Diack Ian. 27, 1959 2,880,040 Gomersall Mar. 31, 1959 

